Natural rubber, derived from several plant species, is a core component of many industrial products such as in coatings, films, and packaging. Natural rubber is also used widely in medical devices and consumer items. More specifically, latex is used in medical products including: gloves, catheters, laboratory testing equipment, assays, disposable kits, drug containers, syringes, valves, seals, ports, plungers, forceps, droppers, stoppers, bandages, dressings, examination sheets, wrappings, coverings, tips, shields, and sheaths for endo-devices, solution bags, balloons, thermometers, spatulas, tubing, binding agents, transfusion and storage systems, needle covers, tourniquets, tapes, masks, stethoscopes, medical adhesive, and latex wound-care products.
Post-procedure patient uses for natural rubber include: compression bands, ties, and straps, inflation systems, braces, splints, cervical collars, and other support devices, belts, clothing, and the padding on wheelchairs and crutches. Natural latex is also used in many other common household products such as pacifiers, rubber bands, adhesives, condoms, disposable diapers, art supplies, toys, baby bottles, chewing gum, and electronic equipment, to name just a few.
Natural rubber, an important polymer produced by plants, is a strategically important raw material used in many thousands of products, including hundreds of medical devices. Natural rubber is obtained from latex, an aqueous emulsion present in the laticiferous vessels (ducts) or parenchymal (single) cells of rubber-producing plants. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is an ideal latex source for medical devices, as it is the only current source of latex that is safe for people with latex allergies. In addition, it is the sole commercially-available natural plant source of rubber of U.S. origin. Other species, such as Taraxacum kok-saghyz, are currently under commercial development.
Removal of the leaves from plants prior to extraction and manufacturing processes, in particular rubber producing plants, can be an important step. Conventional methods to remove leaves from harvested plants utilize chemical defoliants, plant growth regulators (hormones), or flame. Such methods can result in environmental and/or health concerns for those performing the removal of leaves. These methods can also result in the destruction or deterioration of desirable products that can be extracted from the plants. For plants such as guayule, which lack a leaf abscission zone, the use of conventional chemical and hormonal defoliants can result in undesirable dehydration of the plant and can irreversibly coagulate the desirable latex contained therein.